Entertainment | Film & Cinema

A sci-film with a message that sells

A sci-film with a Muslim woman protagonist first screened in northern Kentucky, firmly tucked in North America's God-fearing, prohibitionist bible belt. How did the movie survive reality?

  • Staff Report
  • Published: 23:31 May 3, 2009
  • Tabloid

Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad, director, and Jamal Sayed, producer of the film Alliance, tell the story of a Muslim woman archeologist, Janna Yamin, who leads the world in a battle against foriegn invaders, uniting the earth as she does it, all in 30 minutes, and with a modest budget of US130,000 (Dh477,100).

"It's an optimistic film for all the world, including developing countries,"  Seede explained.

That optimism, and "the idea that a small good deed can make a very big change" won over audiences - even in America's bible belt, where Muslims are as foreign as aliens.

"When we premiered the film in Kentucky, it was screening on a Sunday. I came early and there was only one other person in the cinema. I asked," said Seede, "where all the people were."

Of course, a Sunday morning, everybody was at church.

"But we showed our movie at 1.30pm and by that time everybody was in the cinema."

Seede said he was concerned about the film's reception.

"We were showing a movie with a Muslim hero, after 9/11."

But he shouldn't have worried.

"People really enjoyed the movie, many asked me where they could buy the DVD, they were impressed with the film's social message."

Ahmad said having a Muslim in the lead wasn't an issue in the United States.

"It's not what you say, but how you say it that's important. We presented Janna as a hero, a Muslim hero. So audiences responded to the hero, that's what they could relate to."

Ahmad said Arab and Muslim film makers had a responsiblity to present positive images "when most of the media do the opposite".

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